TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 13. Uzbekistan's Ministry of Economy and Finance has thrown its hat in the ring with lofty goals for the growth of its public-private partnership (PPP) sector by 2025, with major projects planned across education, healthcare, transport, and energy, Trend reports.
In the education sector, 100 preschool educational institutions will be constructed, reconstructed, and equipped in the Samarkand region with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Additionally, 13 general education schools with a total capacity of 14,000 students will be built and equipped in Tashkent city and Tashkent region, also with ADB support.
In healthcare, an 800-bed multi-specialty hospital will be established in the Fergana region with the assistance of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In the transport sector, Namangan, Bukhara, and the new Tashkent international airports will be transferred to private management. In the energy sector, the private sector will be involved in managing electricity networks in the Samarkand, Jizzakh, and Syrdarya regions. Agreements for these and other projects, based on PPP principles and totaling $6.5 billion, are expected to be signed.
To expand the scale of small projects, a new simplified mechanism for project implementation will be developed. Additionally, a handbook outlining procedures for implementing projects valued at over $1 million will be created and introduced. To further enhance all stages of PPP project implementation and improve the monitoring and maintenance of the project registry, an electronic platform for PPP projects will be launched.
As part of the country’s efforts to promote public-private partnerships, Uzbekistan plans to host the third Public-Private Partnership Forum in 2025. The forum will serve as a platform for dialogue between representatives of the Uzbek government, international financial institutions, and private investors, further advancing collaboration and investment in the PPP sector. These initiatives underscore Uzbekistan’s commitment to using public-private partnerships as a key driver of economic growth and sustainable development.